Around the horn: A fan's guide to weekend promotions at area minor league baseball parks

The Eastern League’s schedule has the Harrisburg Senators on the road beginning Thursday for four games in Binghamton, N.Y., against the Mets, but that doesn’t mean area baseball fans are shut out this weekend.

View full sizeClipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster will host three Atlantic League games this weekend between the Barnstormers and York Revolution. PennLive.com file photo

One of the great things about living in central Pennsylvania is the opportunity to watch minor league baseball in a handful of fabulous stadiums within a short driving distance.

Each Wednesday, we’ll take a look at which teams are playing at home during the upcoming Thursday-through-Sunday stretch and highlight giveaway items and promotions fans can find at a given ballpark.

Schedule: The Barnstormers have four games at Clipper Magazine Stadium, beginning Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Long Island Ducks and continuing Friday (7 p.m.), Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (1:30 p.m.) against the York Revolution.

Schedule: Before heading out on an eight-game road trip, the IronPigs play one final contest at Coca-Cola Park on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. against the Louisville Bats.

View full sizeCoca-Cola Park is home to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Dave Sottile | dsottile@pennlive.com

Ticket prices: $25 (IronTicket, which includes $10 field-level ticket and $20 of ballpark credit good at most concession and merchandise stands); $20 (Hot Corner Ticket located directly below the third-base PPL Picnic Patio); $15 (Club Level Ticket, which includes padded seats, extra leg room, access to the Club Bar and a climate-controlled indoor lounge area); $10 (the bi-level Bacon Strip area beyond right field’s home run alley includes 75 bar stool seats in the first row and an additional 52 stadium seats on the second level); $10 (field level seats); $10 (Lawn plus seats, which include $5 of ballpark credit); $7 (general admission to the lawn beyond left-centerfield).

Thursday promotions: None.

ROAD TRIPPING

Each week, look in this space for a suggested ballpark within a three hours’ drive of Harrisburg worth exploring.

Located a little more than two hours away from Harrisburg along Interstate 99, the facility formerly known as Blair County Ballpark seats 7,210 and is easily identifiable by the wooden Skyliner Roller Coaster beyond the right field wall at neighboring Lakemont Park.

“Before the 66ers were the 66ers, they were known as the San Bernardino Spirit, and when they were known as the Spirit, their mascot was the inimitable ‘Spirit Bug,’ Hill writes. “The Spirit Bug was from the Mr. Met school of mascots in that its oversized cranium towered atop what was an otherwise normally proportioned body, making it a natural candidate to be honored in bobblehead form.

“That's just what the 66ers are doing on Saturday, distributing undulating likenesses of this winged creature to those with the wherewithal to arrive early enough to procure one.”